Mail box or receptacle



April 16, 1929. 11F. MURPHY MAIL BOX OR RECEPTACLE Filed Ju'ne 1926 W l\l) l H T .m/ IWM. *1 .K W 6 6 ma. m .1 wj Z Patente cl' 16, 1 929.

1 UNIT so e-sra res.PATENT/ 0F mf Applicationlfiled 'June 192s.seriaiuo. 114,656.

p This invention relates to mail boxes or reoeptacles and morepartici'ilarly'to such mail receptacles as are usually provided inhotels apartment houses and otherlaige buildings to receive the mail ofa largenumber of tenants. i

' It is the primary objectand purposeor" my present invention to providesimpleand,

easily applied means for rigidly connecting two or more mail receptacleun ts with each ity of mail receiving compartments. p My invention ismore particularlyappl cable to mail boxes or receptacles of that typewherein a master door. for all of the mail--compartments inthe grouplsprov ded,1ai 1d said master door carrying individual tenantsdoors for'the various compartments. It'is one ofthe additional novelfeatures ofmy inven-' 2 tion to provide the connecting mei'nber between the mail'receptacleunits withaco nlqcking vi fertile master doors two groups ofmail receivingcompartments thereby reducingtheexpense' 'toythe Govern;ment and the manufacturer in'th ejinstallation which is provided by the;Post .QfiiceDepart ment. Thus, it Willbeunderstood that only a 7 singleGovernment lock isnecessary'ior every oifsuch mail receivingreceptacles, 1

"With the above and other "objects inview theinvention consists in theimproved mail receptacle and in form, construction and relativearrangement of the several parts as will lo'e hereinaftermore fullyTlBSCllbGCl', 1-llustratedin the accompanying. drawin'gs and osubsequently incorporated in the subjoined 1 claims.

In the drawings, wherein 111m, illustrated one simple' and practicalembodiment of the invention, and. in which similar reference partsthroughout the several views,-" a 1 Figure'l is a frontelevationshowingtwo characters designate corresponding of the mailreceptacle'units as assembled and connectedwith each other in accordancewith my present invention f Fig. 2 is a horizontalsectional view takensubstantially on the linei2-2 of Figl 11;]

- r Fig. 3 is a detail interior elevation showing the common lockingmeans for the two master doors, and

QFig. 4 is a detail perspective view oi the connecting member orsection.

Referringindetail to the drawing; the two ,receptacle mits or groupsindicated at 5 may thebody wallet the receptacle along one of section,is inthe form of a'reeta'ngular "frame 1 ofheavy gaugesheet me'tah andthe opposite f edges of the walls thereof are provided with.

be of any'preferred detail construction and are each provided witha-vplurality of separate mail receiving compartments 6'. The front. openends of these compartments areada sea to be closedby the masterdoorjhinged upon l edges, iihis master door carries o't individual tenants"doorsi correspondingxinnumber to the number oi the {compartments;6, eachof said doors being other, each or said units 'embodyingapluralhinged tothe master door at its lower edge any approved,inanner, andasshown inFig. l,

the two adjacent'groups of receptacles have the master doors]? hinged atthe. right and left they r hand edges thereof respectively, so thSWlIlg' to open position-in opposite direct ons. i Between the two unitgroups'of mail recep rta'cles the relatively narrow connecting sec tion9' shown in idi t i oi the drawin s is i l v D 22 adaptei'l 1 to; bepositioned T 'llS connecting inwardly;projecting, apertured: cars 10 atspacedpoints. These ears are adapted to re. ceive the threaded ends ofthe boltsl l which .areengaged through similar apertures in the opposedsidewalls of the receptacle'unitsf Nutsj12 are then threaded upon thesebolts to thereby rigidly clamp and secure the two re- 1 cepta'cle-units' against the opposite-side edges r of the connecting membero'ryframe 9. i

In the-tront vertical wall oi} the connecting I 7 frame 9 theouter-surface ot which is substant ally flush-with the suriaces, of themas-.-

ter' doors 7 when/the latter are closed,"th'e '95" Government postoffice lock l3is mounted.

j This lockmay'be of any.'approved-type and is provided with thetvvobolts 14: which are adapted to'be projected into engagement with.suitable mortises or recesses provlded in the Y edges of the masterdoors7 I It 1s; of course;

understood that only the postman has possession of the'key forthis'loclg' and by means ofsucha single lock,both-master doorsmay v besimultaneouslylocked in their closed posic tions ornnl ocked, so thatthey may be opened to permitfofaccess to -all ofthe compartments ofiboth receptacleunits. lVl1en the master I doors areclosed after-themail has been" de .posited in the proper compartmentsgtbeae spectivetenants may obtain access; to the in 'dividual compartments by openingthe doors 8. i

From the foregoing description consrd ered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it Will be seen that I have devised a simple andpractical means whereby any desired number of unit groups of mailreceptacles can be easily and quickly installed and rigidly connectedWith each other. The connectingmember 9 While of heavy durableconstruction, is ofsimple form and can be produced at relatively smallcost, and as this meuiberprovides a mounting for the single;

Government lockfor'the master doors of the adjacent receptacle un ts,the addition at any time of extra unit groups of receptacles be f'com esa simple and comparativelyinexpenthe purpose in, view. Nevertheless, ispos sible that the essential features thercol: might" sive matter.lt'wilhof courseqbe understood that the connecting member or frameSwhich is arranged between each-pair oit receptacle units having theoppositely swinging master 7 doors 7 Wouldnotbe provided with theGovernment locking ClGVlCGL V p In the ioregoing descr1pt1on, ,lhavere-- ferred "to an embodiment ofmy present improvements Which iseIltllGlYlHflCllCfll for be incorporated in various other alternativestr1ictures,'and I accordingly, reserve the privilegeo i't' resortingtofall such legitimate changcs'in. the term, construction and 'rela"tive arrangement'of thevarious parts asmay be fairly considered Withinthejspirit and "scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim: 7 1. In combination, two receptacle units each having a doorforclosing the receptacle device for the doors of said receptaclesmounted on said frame. I 2. A mult ple unit mail box or analogousstructure, comprising a main housing, at

least two unit frames therein, With adjacent Walls in spaced relation, amaster door hinged on each unit iramean'd the doors of adjacentunitsarranged tosiving toward each other in I ciosing,

a plurality of individualreceptacle compartments in each unit framehaving their tront ends open, individual doors carl' lQCl by each masterdoor and each correspending-to one of the receptacle compartments, andlocking means arranged in fixed position intermediatetlie unit framesand coopcratingwith tivo adjacent master doors to simultaneously lockthem. t

3. A multiple unit mail box or analogous structure, comprising amainhousing,.at least two unit frames therein, with a'dJacent Walls V inspacedrelation, a'ma sterfdoor hinged on each unit frame and he doors ofadjacent units arranged to swing toward. each other inclosinmand lockingmeans arranged in fixed position intermediate the unit frames andco-operating'with two adjacent master doors to simultaneously look them.i

g In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I'h avesigned my name hereto.

THOMAS r. MURPH

